Undeserved calamity

The rain had stopped.

Xia Yunhe changed into her official robes and walked with Wen Zheng and the others along the narrow corridor. On both sides stood towering crimson palace walls, with only a thin strip of the sky visible overhead.

Everyone remained silent.

Upon reaching the Imperial Study, the guards stood in rigid silence, holding their breath.

Wen Zheng announced in a loud voice, "Your Majesty, Xia Yunhe has been brought."

Emperor Hehui was leaning over his desk, engrossed in reviewing memorial documents. Hearing the announcement, he glanced briefly at the red-robed figure kneeling below and asked, "What is the meaning of that letter?"

Xia Yunhe replied, "Reporting to Your Majesty, this subject does not know."

The emperor set down his brush and asked, "How have you been handling the relief for the remnants of the Night Scouts?"

She was momentarily stunned. That matter had passed over two years ago, and she had assumed the emperor had long since forgotten about it, never expecting it to be brought up today. It was true that Third Master Fu was in the border city, but he was not merely providing relief to the remnants of the Night Scouts—he was reorganizing them. She dared not let the emperor know what she was truly doing, as it would invite unnecessary trouble.

After a brief calculation, Xia Yunhe replied, "Reporting to Your Majesty, the soldiers are scattered across various regions and are not easily found. This subject is still continuing the task."

"Hmm." Emperor Hehui emitted an ambiguous laugh and then asked, "Why did you go to see Princess Langjia in private?"

A buzzing sound echoed in Xia Yunhe’s head. She pressed herself flat against the ground, not daring to raise her head. Fine beads of sweat oozed across her forehead, sliding down her skin. Instinctively, she wiped her brow with the back of her hand, only to find her palms already soaked with cold sweat.

"Am I not lenient enough toward your Xia family!"

Emperor Hehui’s face was filled with fury, yet he remained seated upright in his chair, speaking in a chilling tone. "Do you truly believe your petty skills can deceive the heavens and cross the sea?"

The emperor already knew about the events of the curfew night. Her carriage had been intercepted by the night patrol guards, and she had passed only by relying on Princess Langjia’s token. If Emperor Hehui took the time to investigate carefully, stringing together the cause and effect would be no difficult task.

Xia Yunhe bowed deeply and said, "Reporting to Your Majesty, this subject did not dare."

"Did not dare?" Emperor Hehui’s voice grew increasingly shrill, his gaze like a sharp blade piercing Xia Yunhe’s lowered head. "In my eyes, you are lawless; there is nothing you do not dare to do. Running your tongue and spinning words, thinking a shred of cleverness allows you to toy with the imperial court—the late emperor could move the Xia family to Taoqi, and I can just as easily demote the Xia family to commoners."

When the Son of Heaven is enraged, not a soul in the hall dares to breathe loudly. Wen Zheng, serving nearby, bent his back even lower.

Xia Yunhe said, "I implore Your Majesty to retract the accusation that this humble subject has toyed with the imperial court, and grant me permission to state my case."

"Hmph." Emperor Hehui laughed out of extreme anger. "Good, very good. No official has ever dared to speak to me in such a manner; you are truly the first."

Xia Yunhe responded, "Your Majesty is not a ruler like King Zhou of Shang or King Jie of Xia, nor is this subject of the likes of Fei Zhong or Zhao Liang. The four words 'toying with the imperial court'—this subject would rather die ten thousand times than harbor such a rebellious intent. Furthermore, Your Majesty is a wise ruler of an era. This subject is indeed guilty, but the crime lies elsewhere. To see the Princess in private is my offense. Yet if I were to hear of someone plotting treason and endangering the Princess and the imperial clan, only to remain indifferent and feign deafness and dumbness, that would be a betrayal of an official's duty. This subject placed as the top scholar in the fortieth year of Yuanhua, and is a student of the Son of Heaven; naturally, I should shatter my liver and brains for Your Majesty, and exhaust my utmost loyalty for the state of Chu. With the nation's safety at stake, for an official to conceal private matters and fail to report them would truly be lawless."

The emperor laughed unprovokedly, his fingers tightly gripping the jade paperweight on his desk. He looked toward the astonished Wen Zheng, tossed his head upward, and said, "Did you hear that? That is what is called the rhetoric of a civil official. I am no foolish tyrant, nor is he a flattering sycophant."

Emperor Hehui stood up, cast a sidelong glance down at Xia Yunhe, and said coldly, "A clever tongue with ornate words. Throw Xia Yunhe into the Heavenly Prison, to await my further disposition."

...

The Imperial Prison.

The air was permeated with the damp stench of rotting grass, faintly laced with the smell of blood.

The walls here were constructed from massive blocks of solid granite, the seams bonded with a mixture of chicken eggs, glutinous rice, and flour. Even if executions were taking place in the adjoining cells, not a single wail could be heard.

Xia Yunhe sat cross-legged on the ground. Pitch darkness surrounded her, and unable to distinguish any direction, she simply closed her eyes.

For now, only her official robes and fish tally had been stripped away. The prison guards had not yet come to interrogate her; she still wore her wide, unlined outer robe, and the secret of her identity remained unexposed.

The scent of blood grew increasingly dense, churning her stomach with nausea.

A rustling sound of footsteps approached, the chains of the prison door rattled loudly, and someone shone a lantern directly onto her face.

Xia Yunhe frowned slightly, forcing her eyes open with some effort as she lifted her head to look at the newcomer.

...

After a moment, she finally made out the person standing before her.

"Your Highness the Crown Prince?"

Xia Yunhe froze in utter astonishment. The Crown Prince stood before her clad in brocade robes, looking completely out of place in this wretched environment, while she was nothing more than a prisoner awaiting judgment. In a daze, this noble and precious face overlapped with that of the new emperor from her past life—equally cold-blooded, equally hypocritical.

"Audacious! Why do you not kneel upon seeing the Crown Prince!"

The Crown Prince stopped the guard, surveyed the conditions of the cell while pressing a handkerchief to his nose and mouth, and then looked down at Xia Yunhe with a faint smile. "I am managing the Imperial Prison on behalf of my Imperial Father. Xia—" He paused for a fraction of a second, then continued naturally, "—Xia Yunhe, you conspired with the northern Rong tribes, privately sold wolf poison, and murdered someone before dumping the body. Do you know your crime?"

Xia Yunhe suddenly burst out laughing—truly laughable.

Seeing her reaction, the Crown Prince lowered himself to eye level with her. The corners of his mouth curled up into a smile as gentle as spring water, yet his eyes held only coldness. He leaned close to her ear and whispered in a voice meant only for the two of them, "Xia Yunhe, the moment you chose the Seventh Prince, your tragic end was already sealed."

With that, the Crown Prince straightened up, covered his nose once more, and walked away.

The cell plunged back into darkness, illuminated only by a few sporadic oil lamps in the corridor. Xia Yunhe could no longer force a laugh.

Must she endure all the brutal tortures of the Imperial Prison once again?

She sat there in a daze. The occasional sound of dripping water echoed through the entire dungeon. In the profound silence, the sound was magnified countless times, hammering against her ears and magnifying the terror blooming deep within her heart.

Not knowing how much time had passed, a flurry of chaotic noises echoed from the prison door.

Several jailers lit oil lamps, illuminating the cramped space.

They carried in a low stool and placed it right in front of her.

A chief imperial guard, wearing a gold-threaded black gauze crown and dark, gold-embroidered martial attire, appeared at the entrance.

Xia Yunhe looked up at him. He possessed an unfamiliar face, and she assumed he must be someone of ruthless methods.

The man rested his hand on his sword hilt and smiled. "Lord Xia... oh, no, Xia Yunhe."

"This humble person's surname is Lin, given name Cang. I am the newly appointed Commander of the Imperial Guards. As the saying goes, 'to hear a name a hundred times is not as good as seeing the person once.' Having seen Lord Xia today, I realize those words are true."

Seeing that Xia Yunhe remained silent, Lin Cang sighed and lamented, "Those who enter the Imperial Prison always claim they are wronged, yet the moment the instruments of torture are applied, they all become obedient. Most of the instruments in this prison were devised by the former Commander Chen. I have briefly familiarized myself with them, and I shall recount them for Lord Xia to broaden your horizons."

"Take the cangues, for instance—there are more than ten varieties. The first is called 'Suppressing the Hundred Meridians,' which cuts off every meridian in your body. The second is 'Breath Denied,' meaning once it is locked on, you cannot draw breath. The third is 'Sudden Roar,' the fourth 'Immediate Confession,' the fifth 'Soul-Shattering Courage,' the sixth 'Rebellion Reflected,' the seventh 'Reflection of Rebellion,' the eighth 'Dead Pig's Lament,' the ninth 'Begging for Death,' and the tenth 'Begging to Ruin the Family'... Once fitted with these cangues, the pain causes your entire body to tremble violently, with nowhere to hide."

He fished a confession document from behind his waist and slapped it onto the low stool. "Lord Xia, out of the ten rounds of cangue torture, how many rounds can you endure? You would be wise to confess early and spare yourself the torment. If Lord Xia refuses to confess, the Imperial Prison also possesses the Observation Platform. No doubt Lord Xia has heard of it."

Lin Cang asked a jailer for a writing brush, dipped it fully in ink, and handed it directly to Xia Yunhe.

Looking at the fierce and malevolent jailers surrounding her, Xia Yunhe understood in her heart that if she did not confess, she would be tortured to death.

Without a word, she picked up the brush and signed her name to the fabricated "confession" detailing the conspiracy to sell wolf poison and the murder and dumping of the body.

With a smile, Lin Cang collected the confession paper. "Since Lord Xia is so cooperative, your headscarf and belt may remain untouched."

With that, he dismissed his men and departed.

Holding Xia Yunhe's confession, Lin Cang walked into the duty room.

Someone was already waiting there. Seeing Lin Cang enter, the man asked, "Has he confessed?"

The man was none other than Liu Rongshan.

Lin Cang pulled out the fabricated confession. Liu Rongshan reached out to take it, but Lin Cang pulled his hand back, retracted the document, pressed his lips together in a nonchalant manner, and remarked, "He is your own student, the Senior Grand Tutor. Is it truly necessary to be this ruthless?"

Liu Rongshan let out a cold hmph, snatched the confession from Lin Cang’s hand, and issued a chilling warning, "Do not meddle in affairs that do not concern you. The old man who placed you in this position can just as easily remove you from it."

Lin Cang smiled and said no more.

...

The Imperial Study.

Emperor Hehui sat in his chair, staring at the confession in his hands in silence, though the fury on his face was impossible to suppress.

Standing below in the hall were two officials—one in purple robes, the other in cyan.

The one in purple was Liu Rongshan. He saluted and said, "Your Majesty, Tian Guan is the proprietor of the Tian Family Maltose Shop. Xia Yunhe colluded with the northern Rong and instigated Tian Guan to sell maltose mixed with wolf poison in the capital. This matter has been fully investigated, and Xia Yunhe has already confessed."

The cyan-robed, long-bearded official standing nearby stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, "Your Majesty, there is something suspicious about this case."

Emperor Hehui raised his eyes to look at the cyan-robed official. "Lu Zhaoxing, Xia Yunhe's confession is right here. Where does this suspicion come from?"

"This subject possesses physical evidence."

Emperor Hehui waved his hand. Wen Zheng held up the evidence tray and hurried before the emperor.

Emperor Hehui leaned forward, catching sight of the letter bearing Xia Yunhe’s name and seal, alongside an autopsy report.

Lu Zhaoxing stated, "Tian Guan had a purple bruise around his neck, extending beneath his ear. He was strangled to death before his body was discarded."

"Does that not precisely prove that Xia Yunhe ordered Tian Guan to be strangled and his body dumped?" Liu Rongshan cast a dismissive glance at Lu Zhaoxing, clearly displeased.

"Senior Grand Tutor, if Xia Yunhe truly murdered someone and dumped the body, why would he leave behind his own name? Would any murderer deliberately expose their own crime?"

Liu Rongshan was rendered speechless for a moment, and cast a disgruntled look at the emperor.

Emperor Hehui looked at the three characters "Xia Yunhe" written on the letter in the tray. An answer had formed in his mind, yet his expression remained entirely blank as he turned his gaze to Lu Zhaoxing. "And how do you explain this name?"

"Your Majesty, this is a frame-up. All the other handwriting on the letter has been soaked away and dissolved, leaving only the three characters 'Xia Yunhe.' Is that not strange?"

Seeing that the emperor did not interrupt, Lu Zhaoxing continued, "The ink used for writing is mostly made of soot-carbon black and plant gum. When ink is soaked in flowing water for a long time, the characters will dissolve. However, characters written with lacquer will not dissolve when exposed to water."

"Your Majesty, this letter was deliberately forged by someone. Xia Yunhe previously submitted a memorial regarding the wolf poison. It is likely that someone held a grudge and seized the opportunity to slander him."

Liu Rongshan narrowed his eyes and questioned Lu Zhaoxing, "What does Lord Lu mean by this? A confession in black and white lies right here—are you implying that this old man framed Xia Yunhe? Or is Lord Lu attempting to shield Xia Yunhe? Could it be that you are accomplices?"

Lu Zhaoxing replied, "This humble official is merely reporting the facts of the case to Your Majesty as they are, not framing anyone, nor shielding anyone. The gravity of penal justice is heavier than Mount Tai. To hastily condemn someone without a thorough investigation is to wrong countless innocent souls."

Inside the Imperial Study, sharp wits clashed like swords.

Meanwhile, deep underground in the Imperial Prison, an entirely different scene was unfolding.

Lin Cang munched on a crisp pear as he instructed the jailer to open the cell door. Strutting in casually, he squatted down right beside Xia Yunhe, crunching loudly on the pear—a truly noisy spectacle.

Xia Yunhe looked up at him. "What does Commander Lin want?"

Finishing the pear, Lin Cang circled her a few times before suddenly squatting directly in front of her. A hint of an intriguing smile played at the corners of his mouth as he placed a few items into her lap.

Xia Yunhe lowered her gaze and, by the dim light, recognized a writing brush and an ink stick. She found herself unable to fathom this man.

"Has the confession not already been written?"

Lin Cang looked at her with keen interest, resting his chin on his hand and speaking in a flat, unhurried tone, "Is Lord Xia simply going to resign yourself to this fate?"